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KIN 2332 - Motor Learning and Control, Spring 2010
Instructor Contact Information and Biography
Dr. Harry J. Meeuwsen, Ph.D.
Administration Building, Office #310
500 W. University Ave
El Paso, TX 79968
(915) 747-8459
meeuwsen@utep.edu.
You can reach me by phone but the best way is by email. I typically check my email each morning around 8am. I
will not check email on the weekend. My office is closed on weekends when I work on mental repairs and physical
recuperation.
I grew up in Holland in a small town called Doornenburg a few miles from the German border. My entire family
still lives in Holland. In 1981, I moved to the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH where I received my
MS in Physical Education. I was a graduate assistant women’s gymnastics coach during my Masters. I completed
my PhD in Physical Education in 1987 from Louisiana State University where I also worked as a graduate assistant
coach in gymnastics. My study emphasis was in motor learning, specifically structuring practice. After I graduated,
I spent one year as a postdoctoral research assistant in motor control at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
studying the effects of aging on proprioceptive sensitivity. I then moved to Texas Woman’s University, in Denton,
TX, and worked in its Department of Kinesiology from 1988-2000. My career at UTEP started as chair of the
Department of Kinesiology in August 2000. I served as interim-dean of the College of Health Sciences in 20062007, and now serve UTEP as an Associate Provost and Director of the Center for Effective Teaching and
Learning. UTEP has been the best university I have worked at, mainly because of the people who work and study
here.
A Few Things I Would Like to Share about This Class
What makes Motor Learning and Control interesting?
I first learned about motor learning when studying for my Masters degree. It dealt with how we control and
learn movements. The topic fascinated me, because I coached NCAA Division I competitive gymnasts new
skills on a daily basis. I found myself asking questions such as “How can I best help these gymnasts learn this
trick; Why is Sue so much better at this skill than Jenny; Is there a better way to give them feedback; How do I
organize practice?” The things I learned from my motor learning classes helped me become a better teacher
and coach.
As a professional movement educator, you will be involved in teaching other persons motor skills of some sort,
whether you are going to be a teacher, coach, therapist, fitness instructor, or personal trainer. This course will
help you learn how motor learning and control research can help you become an effective instructor of motor
skills. Research findings will help you learn how you can help clients learn motor skills more quickly, and
understand the changes in performance and control that occur as your students or clients get better.
Why is this Course so Important that it is required for all Kinesiology Students?
Clearly, if you are going to teach people motor skills or analyze problems they have with movements, you
need to know how folks learn and control motor skills. Therefore, Motor Learning and Control is one of the
core courses in the Kinesiology curriculum, because all students in Kinesiology will instruct people on how to
perform a skill at some point in their careers. Besides providing you foundational content in motor learning
and control, you will learn other things and experience new learning activities that will benefit you in many
other KIN classes. Skills such as how to work effectively in teams and how to solve challenging assignments
successfully with your teammates will serve you well in this major. Instructors teaching upper division
Kinesiology courses will assume that you are familiar with diverse teaching and learning strategies. Working
effectively with others on projects, asking good questions, finding relevant information and knowing how to
use it, are skills that will benefit you greatly in other courses and your personal life. This class gives you the
opportunity to practice these skills; you should take full advantage of the opportunities.
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What I Believe about this Class.
I believe strongly in several things regarding teaching and learning and this class.
1) I am responsible for designing learning activities that challenge your ideas, increase your understanding of
how humans learn and perform motor skills, and help you achieve the learning outcomes associated with
this class.
2) I believe that working together in teams on difficult assignments and engaging in fierce give-and-take
discussions on issues helps everyone learn more and offers opportunities of leadership. Research
substantiates that claim and therefore I use Team Based Learning as the teaching strategy in this class.
3) I believe a class should incorporate activities that support different learning styles. You will experience
many different activities, some aligned with your preferred learning styles, and others that may fit less
well, but the variety of learning activities should benefit all students.
4) I believe that individuals are responsible for their own learning, no one else can learn for you, nor can a
teacher make you learn. Learning takes time and effort. You chose this major and I assume you are committed
to spend the time and effort necessary to learn the knowledge, skills, and attitudes important to it.
5) I believe that learning something new can be uncomfortable and a struggle, but like reaching the peak of a
mountain after a hard climb, if you persist the outcome can be very gratifying. This class will challenge you
at many different levels, from learning new words and concepts you have never heard of, to working
effectively in teams, but in the end the struggle will be worth it.
6) I believe that you need feedback and so do I. I will provide you with regular feedback about how you are
doing, and I will ask you to provide me feedback about the effectiveness of the assignments. Your
comments will help me design activities and experiences that will help you learn better.
7) I am deeply invested in your success, because your success reflects well on the Department and the
university. More importantly, you are the next generation of leaders who can help make this world a better
place. I hope this course will help get you on your way to become leaders for positive change.
8) Finally, this class presents you with activities that will stretch you beyond your comfort zone, but they
provide opportunities to grow and learn something new. If you adopt a negative attitude early in the
semester, I am certain no activity will have any effect on your learning. Closing your mind is your choice,
so is opening your mind to new strategies, new approaches, and new ideas. I hope you open your mind to
new adventures in learning this class may offer. Keep asking, “What does this mean to me; what am I
learning from this; how can I use what we just experienced?” In the team discussions, explain your
discoveries and the connections you make between class work and your real-life experiences to your
teammates.
Being an Active, Intentional Participant
You need to come to class with a purpose and goals in mind. Be an intentional student. Be aware why you
study this topic. Understand how you learn best, the value of what you learned, and how that can be applied in
settings other than the class activities. An intentional, self-directed learner makes connections between
knowledge and skills learned in this class and the workplace. Intentional learners thrive in a changing world,
because they know how to learn and bring together different sources of information and their experiences to
make effective decisions.
Why Team-based Learning?
Much research exists on how groups become high performing teams. Several pre-conditions must exist in
order for a high-performing team to develop. A group of individuals must
 Spend significant time together working on meaningful challenges
 Learn and apply socially appropriate behaviors and work habits
 Be willing to give and receive honest feedback about behaviors that help or hurt the team’s learning
 Receive feedback about individual and group performance
 Be able to identify common goals and commit to achieving them together
 Have sufficient human resources (e.g. knowledge) available to successfully conquer challenges
These principles are the foundation for the team-based learning (TBL) strategy used in this and other
Kinesiology classes. Working in a high performing team is an awesome experience, but building such a team is
not easy, and requires commitment and honesty of all members. In this class, teams of 4-6 members remain
intact for the entire semester and will work on challenging assignments. Team members also hold each other
accountable through several evaluations each other’s teamwork behavior.
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Course Resources
Required Texts:
 Schmidt, R. A. & Wrisberg, C. A. (2008, 4TH edition). Motor learning and performance: A situation-based
learning approach. Champaign, Ill, Human Kinetics Publishers. We do use this book a lot in class, and
there should be used copies in the bookstore.
 Research papers and other materials posted on the Blackboard course site.
Online Resources: Blackboard, Turnitin.com; i-Peer
The use of Blackboard will help you learn to use instructional technology in your learning. This is important,
because it is very likely that you will take other online courses in the future, if you have not already done so.
 The Blackboard course site has Study Guides for each chapter in the text and they contain notes on the
most important concepts to help you focus your study efforts.
 Tickets to Class (TTC) are individual assignments to help you prepare for the in-class assignments. You
will be able to access only one TTC at a time on Blackboard. If you spend quality time and effort on these
you will get full credit, if you blow them off you will receive no credit.
 Email: Blackboard contains an email tool you can use to send the instructor emails about the course, or
email each other.
 The Discussion Board is a tool to:
 Help you communicate outside of class with your classmates
 Post a question to the rest of the class
 Discuss class related issues
 Complete online course work
 But…it’s not for frivolous exchanges, stick to class-related issues. You can go to Twitter, Facebook, or
MySpace for the other stuff.
 Wiki: A Wiki is a web-based collaboration tool that allows multiple people to work on a single document
any time from any place in the world if you have computer access. A wiki also allows you to insert
pictures, video, audio, and web links, allowing you to create multimedia presentations.
 Turnitin.com: UTEP has a university-wide license for Turnitin.com. Faculty can submit your papers and
have Turnitin.com check to see if it was copied from other sources or plagiarized. It will even check old
lab papers previous classes submitted. More importantly, you can also check your own papers before
submitting them for a grade to make sure your work is original and will not get you in trouble.
 I-Peer: This online teamwork-behavior evaluation tool allows team members to evaluate each other’s
contributions to the team effort.
Professional Conduct
During this course, deal with the material and your colleagues as a professional. Consider class a regular meeting
with your team of professionals and a great opportunity to exchange new ideas. Attending team meetings on time,
being well prepared and participating in the team discussions are key parts of professional behavior. Make a
commitment to your team members:
 Come to the meeting prepared by having completed your assignments prior to class.
 Meet your deadlines.
 Participate fully in all class activities and collaborate closely with your teammates.
 Be actively present in class: stay focused on the learning activities.
 Inform your teammates when you cannot attend a meeting, or you run into difficulties completing your tasks.
They will help you, if you are genuine and honest.
 Be courteous and honest in communicating with others that shows respect and sensitivity to cultural,
religious, sexual, and other individual differences among all class members.
 Provide constructive feedback that helps your teammates, class members, and the instructor improve their
performance, and appreciate it when they provide you with the same.
 Do not fester over little things, let go and move on, you have important goals to achieve.
Civil Discussions and Learning
Respectful discussions are at the center of learning. Good discussions provide answers and raise questions that
make us want to find out more. The team discussions in class are about the exchange of ideas. To understand
your teammates’ ideas and reasoning you will have to listen carefully. That means only one person should
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speak at one time. If you disagree, state that you disagree with the idea, tell the person your reasons and
provide evidence to support your point of view. A vigorous give-and-take discussion that focuses on ideas will
help you learn much from each other. A focus on ideas does not attack the person; it is about exchanging and
challenging thoughts and opinions. It is important that you become comfortable with such discussions, because
of their learning potential. If you encounter a lack of civility and disrespect in discussions and you do not feel
comfortable addressing the person, do not hesitate to see me. We will find a way to address it and improve the
situation.
Use of Study Guides
Should help them make applications
The Study Guides for each Chapter are on Blackboard under “Course Content.” They help you concentrate on
key concepts in each chapter and focus your study efforts through a set of questions, so you do not spend your
time on material that is not critical. Concepts are explained slightly differently from the textbook and may help
you understand the material better. Use them alongside the textbook.
The textbook and scientific papers are your resources to help you prepare for the work in class. Reading them
carefully using the questions in the study guides, and trying to find the meaning in the text is very important,
because in class the instructor does NOT repeat what is in the textbook. You are very capable of reading and
understanding the text on your own; be confident in your capabilities. In class, you will apply the concepts you
studied and receive clarifications if you ask questions and you will get feedback on your submitted work.
The Readiness Assurance Process (RAP)
There are five parts to the Readiness Assurance Process:
1. Individual study of assigned readings prior to class;
2. The individual Readiness Assessment Test (i-RAT on Blackboard prior to class; is time-limited, study
before you start);
3. The team RAT (t-RAT in class with your team; same questions as on the i-RAT);
4. The Team Appeal of questions on the t-RAT;
5. The instructor provides feedback on your answers and further elaboration of the concepts that were on the
t-RATs.
The RAP exposes you to the material five times with immediate feedback, which should help your learning.
Your individual and team scores both count equally towards your total grade. The RAP allows you to check
your own understanding of the material against that of the other students and the instructor.
The RAP, TTC and the related discussions will help me identify whether you understand the concepts
discussed in the book, and know whether you are ready to complete challenging application exercises. If you
have questions concerning the material you can contact me by email or phone in advance of taking the RAP,
ask your questions before the beginning of the class session, or post your questions to the HELP board.
Improving the Quality of your Thinking
It may be frustrating that there are no simple black and white answers to many questions in motor learning and
control. Our current ideas of best practices are based on the most recent research findings. As responsible
professionals, we must recognize that opinions differ in quality and that good ones are supported by strong
evidence. Discipline (research), legal, moral, religious, and other criteria can be used to determine which
opinions should be accepted, which should be rejected, and which need additional analysis. You need to learn
how to do this.
The next table describes three patterns of how people think about issues and draw conclusions (by Perry and
Belenky in Grasha, 1996, p. 218):
As an educated person working towards a university degree, you need to strive toward relativistic thinking. In
this class, your answer will be correct if you can back it up with logical reasoning using relevant research
findings presented in the literature (see your text, articles, and website materials), and other sources. You may
not be used to this approach, but it is a necessity if you want to be a successful professional who can critically
assess the usefulness of new information and trends.
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I-Peer Team Work Behavior Evaluations
During the semester, you will evaluate your team mates’ teamwork behavior on I-peer, an online evaluation
system designed for this purpose. You are responsibility for letting your team mates know how they are
contributing to or impeding the success of the team. You will complete two evaluations during the semester
and the final evaluation after you complete the final exam. The ratings on the final teamwork behavior
evaluations will impact the final course grade (see below).
The Type of Thinking You Need to Strive For
In the last century, Perry examined the development of thinking skills in undergraduate college students and
determined there were three levels; which are explained in the table below. During your studies at UTEP you
should work hard to develop the capability to think relativistically. In other words, when you are asked for
your opinion, make sure you have done your research and understand the evidence and support for various
other opinions before you develop a position or a point of view on issues. In this class you will be asked to
present evidence for your positions and conclusions on a regular basis.
Types of Thinking
Dualism
Multiplism
Relativism
Description
A person believes that information is correct or incorrect, right or wrong,
and that there are fixed ways of looking at the world. S/he relies on
authorities to determine how and what to think. Has difficulty thinking
independently, generating alternative perspectives, and being able to
analyze information
A person has the ability to see that uncertainties, unknowns, and doubts
exist and that these naturally lead to different points of view. S/he has
difficulty developing reasons why some opinions are better than others.
Leads to considering alternative points of view, but without an ability to
formulate and employ criteria for deciding consistently among them.
A person recognizes that points of view differ in quality and that good ones
are supported by evidence and other criteria. S/he uses discipline-related,
legal, moral, religious, and other criteria to determine which opinions can
be accepted, rejected, or need additional analysis. This approach leads to
independent thinking, analyzing information, and using appropriate criteria
to draw conclusions.
Course Goals
In my view, you will be well prepared to be a movement educator (someone who teaches others motor skills)
if you can DO the following:
1. Develop basic skills to:
a. Use a functional taxonomy to evaluate a learner’s motor skill performance and determine
appropriate progressions to improve performance.
b. Use different measures to assess performance and learning of motor skills at various stages of
learning.
c. Use task analysis principles to determine key elements of motor skills.
d. Understand the causes of individual differences in motor learning and performance.
e. Apply principles of information processing and memory to prepare optimum learning
experiences.
f. Select practice structures to optimize learning for learners in various stages of learning.
g. Select optimum methods of delivering extrinsic feedback to learners in various stages of
learning.
h. Understand the closed-loop control model as a conceptual model to explain motor skill
performance and learning.
i. Use motor learning theories and laws to explain motor skill performance and learning.
j. Evaluate your own performance on assignments and contributions to the team effort.
2. Retrieve and integrate new sources of information into existing knowledge (e.g. the textbook) in
order to keep learning and improve professional practice.
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Learning Outcomes
To achieve this kind of preparation requires several different kinds of learning. I hope that by the end of
this course, everyone will:
1. Have a good knowledge of (accomplished through reading, studying, discussions, assignments):
 Essential concepts in motor learning and control; see the items above under #1. Student knowledge
is assessed using various assessment tools.
2. Know how to perform several key tasks related to teaching motor skills (accomplished through
learning activities performed mostly in class):
 Formulate clear performance goals for the learner;
 Evaluate a learner’s motor skill performance level and determine appropriate progressions to
improve performance using Gentile’s taxonomy;
 Apply the measurement paradigm and different measures to assess performance of motor skills
and infer learning at various stages of learning;
 Use task analysis principles to determine key elements of motor skills and necessary abilities to
explain individual differences
 Apply information processing and memory principles to optimize learning experiences;
 Construct practice organizations to optimize learning for individuals in various stages of learning;
 Create strategies for optimum delivery of extrinsic feedback to learners in various stages of
learning;
 Apply the closed-loop control model to explain motor skill performance and learning
 Explain motor skill performance and learning using theories and laws;
3. Identify the interactions between key ideas in motor learning and control and your actions as a
professional (accomplished through learning activities and reflections):
 Create matrices, concepts maps, diagrams, or multimedia presentations to show relationships
between concepts and their implications for movement educators.
 Evaluate your own performance on assignments, those of other team members, and those of other
teams.
 Reflect on what you are learning and its value in your professions.
4. Develop your human capabilities to (accomplished through activities and reflections):
 Be a more effective learner and improve your study habits;
 Work productively with colleagues in a team setting;
 Express your ideas on a subject clearly and precisely;
 Have confidence in your understanding and application of major motor learning concepts;
 Take initiative and be a leader in your team when called upon.
5. Value (shown through reflections, team work):
 The importance of incorporating motor learning and control concepts in the preparation and
delivery of learning experiences;
 The effort it takes to develop effective learning experiences for groups and individuals;
 Good teamwork.
6. Monitor and direct your own professional growth (accomplished through activities) :
 Create a time management plan for the semester
 Reflect on your learning and improvement in performance throughout the semester.
The semester is divided in seven thematic units that each start with a RAP and end with a graded in-class team
project. The sequence of the topics is different from the textbook; we will first focus on learning and
performance related issues before we examine motor control and theories. Throughout the course, the central
questions focus on what you as a movement educator can do for the learner to make the learning experience as
effective as possible.


In Unit I, we will lay the foundation for the course by identifying learning styles, create a time
management plan, form teams based on your experience in motor skill learning; perform a practice RAP
and a TTC.
In Unit II, we will look at the differences between motor learning, control, and performance; how can we
diagnose the level of performance of a person, plan the next steps in the performance progression; and how
we can determine whether a person’s performance is improving and they are learning.
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In Unit III, we’ll examine why individuals differ in performance and learning; what we can do to optimize
individual learning; the role of information and memory in learning; and how can we use understanding of
information processing and memory principles to optimize learning experiences.
In Unit IV, we examine how to structure practice to optimize learning.
In Unit V, we will study extrinsic feedback and the optimum ways of delivering feedback.
In Unit VI, the theories of motor learning and control are presented as a framework to help you think about
motor performance and learning, and understand how we learn and control motor skills.
How do you earn Your Grade?
The variety of learning objectives for this course requires a variety of learning activities and assessments. The
assessments serve to give you valuable feedback about how well you are achieving the learning objectives. The
assessments are “forward looking.” This means that they focus on what you should know and do as a professional
after you graduate. If you receive a passing score, I believe that you have the knowledge and skills a professional with
a BS degree in Kinesiology should have related to motor learning and control. On various projects, you will assess
the work of your peers to provide them feedback, but the instructor will assess and grade your work.
Required Individual Grade Components
1. Readiness Assurance Process (RAP): As part of the RAP you will take an individual Readiness Assessment Test
(i-RAT) on Blackboard prior to class. The i-RAT will be available two (2) days prior to the class session. You
need to study the material prior to starting the i-RAT because each question is limited to 2 minutes which does
not allow time to look up an answer. NOTE: The i-RAT is to be taken individually without help from others.
Gathering around one computer with a couple buddies to take the quiz is cheating. Writing down the correct
answers and sharing them with your buddies is cheating. You will have a chance to work with your teammates
on these questions in-class during the t-RAT. Finally, questions will be randomly selected from a large database
by Blackboard and the answer choices are randomize each time a quiz is activated, so spend your time and
mental energy on studying and understanding the material rather than figuring out how to game the system.
2. Tickets to Class (TTC; 13 total): The tickets to class are a very important part of your individual preparation for
in-class team assignments; they are the building blocks for in-class application assignments.. The TTC consists of
reading assignments and a short-answer quiz you will take in Blackboard. Show in your answers that you read
the material and thought about the TTC assignment and you will get full credit. If it is clear you “blew it off,” you
will not receive credit. Complete the TTCs individually and bring a hardcopy to class for the team discussion.
3. I-Peer teamwork behavior evaluation: two semester online evaluations of each team mate (including yourself)
will be conducted during the semester for 25 points each, because it is important in this class to let your team
mates know how they are performing as a team mate.
4. Individual Final Exam: The final exam is an open book exam and contains 50 Multiple Choice questions
covering the most important concepts covered during the semester. You will receive these questions
throughout the in-class team assignments.
Required Team Work Grade Components
Much of the work in this course will be done in teams so you can experience how powerful effective
teamwork can be for individual learning.
1. Team Readiness Assessment Tests: See RAP above;
2. End of Unit Assignments (5): During the class session at the end of each unit, teams will complete and
present their End-Of-Unit assignment. The work will take various forms and teams will present it in
class for peer assessment and feedback, but only the instructor grades it.
Two Opportunities for Bonus Points
1. Being present and prepared can earn you up to 25 bonus points. To receive all points you will need to
(a) be on time every class session; (b) have your Notebook with you every class session. Roll will be
taken at the beginning of class.
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2. You should use your Note Book as your notes book. This means that you should write notes
everywhere and annotate every exercise. A cryptic statement or a few words here and there do not
qualify as excellent use of your Note Book. If it is clear that you turned the Note Book into a valuable
resource for learning, you can earn up to 25 bonus points. You may choose to submit your Note Book
for review. The instructor will not ask for them.
3. At random times during the semester, teams will respond to questions posed by the instructor using
their team clicker (classroom response system). This will serve to provide the instructor with feedback
about the understanding of difficult concepts, and provide teams an opportunity to gain bonus points.
POINT DISTRIBUTIONS
Individual Components
Individual RAT (5) 20 points each
TTC (13) 15 points each
I-peer team work behavior evaluations
Individual Final Exam
Total Base Individual Score
100
195
50
100
445
Option to increase your individual point total:
Being on time and prepared
A well used Note Book (if you choose to submit it)
25
25
Team Components
Team RAT (5) 20 points each
Graded end-of-unit assignments (5) 20 points each
Total Base Team Score
100
100
200
Option to increase your team point total:
In-class bonus points
Total (not counting bonus points)
Random Opportunities
645
IMPORTANT: Team Grade Adjustment by Peer Evaluation of Teamwork Behavior:
The Base Team Grade (=total points accumulated) for individual students will be adjusted using the Team
Work Behavior (TWB) Evaluation score as a percentage multiplier. This will raise or lower the Base Team
Grade for a given student. For example, if a student receives a TWB score of 70 out of the average 100, the
Base Team Grade will be multiplied by 0.7 to arrive at the Adjusted Team Grade (see example below). The
TWB scores in the examples are true cases from past classes, and lead to increases and decreases in the final
course grades for some students. Being a good team member can help your final grade substantially. The final
Team Work Behavior Evaluation that counts towards the course grade is anonymous and conducted during the
final exam. The Adjusted Team Grade is available upon request.
In this example the maximum team grade (275=200 + bonus points) is used. Notice the difference in scores
between the poor and great teammates: 110 point (more than 17% of the maximum possible points of 645).
Average teammate:
Poor teammate:
Great teammate:
TWB score=100 out of 100=1; Final Team Grade = 1*275 = 275
TWB score=70 out of 100=0.7; Final Team Grade = 0.7*275 = 192.5
TWB score=140 out of 100=1.4; Final Team Grade = 1.4*275 = 385
Course Grade Determination
A = 600 and higher
B = 550-600
C = 485-550
D = 420-485
F < 400
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Rubrics: Grading Criteria and Standards
Performance criteria and standards are essential in assuring quality work, and are critical to valid, reliable, and
objective evaluation of your assignments. You will receive rubrics in advance of assignments to help you
prepare them, and the same rubrics are used to grade them. They are in the Handbook you will receive.
Time Management:
The tentative schedule contains all assignments and deadlines in details so you can plan your semester. Expect
to spend three hours on preparation and learning assignments for every semester credit hour. Since this class is
a 3-semester credit hour class, expect to spend about 9 hours out of class on assignments in addition to 3 hours
of in-class time for a total of about 12 hours per week to obtain an “A” in this class. One of your tasks is to
develop a Time Management Plan for yourself. This means that you will:
1) Create a weekly calendar containing you class times, your work times, your family activities, your
breakfast, lunch and dinner activities, your physical activities and exercise (no excuses, you are a
Kinesiology major!), time to go shopping, etc.
2) Create a semester calendar for including the months of January, February, March, April, and May, in
which you enter your weekly activities and the quizzes and exams for each of your courses. Create your
plan and stick to it!!
Group Member Roles:
To prevent confusion about individual responsibilities related to teamwork, team members will adopt roles to
help the team function optimally. These roles have responsibilities associated with them and team members
have to hold each other accountable for fulfilling those responsibilities. You will receive various role
descriptions in class.
Course Policies and Rules to Optimize Learning
This course is about learning, and evidence suggests that learning is affected positively or negatively by many
different variables. To optimize your learning in class we all need to adhere to some basic common-sense rules:
 Cell Phones are OFF in Class: Why? First, professionals turn off their phones in a meeting with other
professionals. Second, a ringing phone disrupts because the sound of a phone attracts attention.
Disruptions of the learning process are annoying. They disrupt the discussion, and the exchange of ideas
ends, because the phone draws everyone’s attention. Humans have a limited attention capacity and
teammates lose their train of thought when a phone rings. Then it takes time to get back on topic. Your
meeting time in class is valuable, chat and text with your friends outside of your team meeting. Turn your
cell phone off and put it in your backpack.
 The Use of Laptops: Laptops can be a great tool. Personally, I take much better notes on a laptop than on
paper, because I type faster than I write and I can read what I type better than what I write. Therefore, I do
not mind you using your laptop in class, except when it disrupts the learning process. The team decides
whether it does so, but I will not accept surfing the internet on topics not related to your class activities, or
answering your email, instant messaging, chatting, video viewing, music playing, game playing, etc. These
activities show a lack of respect for your teammates and disinterest in the course that is un-professional
and not acceptable. If you do, you will no longer be allowed to use your laptop in class. A few suggestions
that will help the use of laptops in class:
1. Charge your laptop batteries fully before coming to class.
2. Set your laptop volume control to mute or off before coming to class.
3. Keep your laptop closed during presentations and other specific in-class activities.
 Cheating, Plagiarism, Scholastic Dishonesty, and Student Discipline: Cheating is unethical and not
acceptable. Plagiarism is using information or original wording in a paper without giving credit to the
source of that information or wording: it is also not acceptable. Do not submit work under your name that
you did not do yourself, ever. You may not submit work for this class that you did for another class. If you
cheated or plagiarized, you will be subject to disciplinary action as stated in the UTEP undergraduate
catalog policy.
“Scholastic dishonesty (which includes the attempt of any student to present the work of
another as his or her own, or any work which s(he) has not honestly performed, or
attempting to pass any examination by improper means) is a serious offense and will
subject the student to disciplinary action. The aiding and abetting of a student in any
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dishonesty is held to be an equally serious offense. All alleged acts of scholastic dishonesty
should be reported to the Dean of Students for disposition. It is the Dean of Students’
responsibility to investigate each allegation, dismiss the allegation, or proceed with
disciplinary action in a manner which provides the accused student his or her rights of due
process.”
Refer to http://www.utep.edu/dos/acadintg.htm for further information.
You must cite, reference, or quote information obtained from other sources so you give credit where
credit is due. If you do not know how to do that, ask. In addition, when an assignment specifies that you must
perform a task individually, asking for your classmates’ help is scholastic dishonesty. Do NOT copy any
material regardless of where you obtained it into your own work. Do NOT submit work under your name if
you did not complete it entirely yourself; be honest and tell me you did it together. The consequences will be
less severe when you are up front about it than when you try to hide it.
UTEP now has a site license for Turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection tool that you can also use to check
your own work for this or other classes to prevent getting in trouble. I will report any instances of plagiarism
and dishonesty to the Dean of Students Office and the grade for the assignment will be an “F” or “zero”.
If you want to test your understanding of plagiarism, take the self-assessment at
http://education.indiana.edu/~frick/plagiarism or visit http://www.turnitin.com
Policy on Tardiness and Missing Class Sessions: University policy dictates that all students attend all
scheduled classes. Being absent from even one 3hr class sessions really hurts your understanding and
performance in the class. However, emergencies do occur and you have one allowed absence for the entire
semester to deal with emergencies. Inform your teammates if an emergency arises. Any absences beyond one
will result in a visit with the instructor, because you are missing too much. Missed sessions beyond one may
result in a 5% deduction of your final course grade. Use your allowed absence wisely.
Deadline Policy and Late Assignments: It is essential that all of you come to class fully prepared to discuss
your work and do well on the in-class assignments. In order for me to give you feedback on your work, I need
to have about 2 hours before class to read it. Once a deadline has passed, you can no longer turn in your work.
Plan carefully to ensure you meet the deadlines. If you wait until the last minute, things that can go wrong
often do. Your computer will crash, the internet connection stops working, etc. If you had started earlier, you
would have had time to deal with those annoyances, and still turn in your assignments on time. Therefore, I
cannot accept those types of excuses. Create your time management plan and stick to it, so you can get
everything done on time.
Missed Tests: There will be five forward-looking Readiness Assessment Tests (RATs) on assigned readings.
Individual and team scores on all five tests count equally towards the final grade. Missing all or part of any
one test will result in zero points for that test. If students contact the instructor in advance, they may receive
permission to take a test prior to the date listed in the schedule. If, due to a documented emergency, students
miss an individual graded assignment or i-RAT they may contact the instructor to arrange an alternative
option. Missed graded team assignments cannot be made up.
Students with Any Type of Disability: UTEP seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified
individuals with disabilities, including learning disabilities. This university will adhere to all applicable federal,
state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as
required affording equal educational opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to register with Disabled
Student Services Office in the East Union Bldg., Room 106 within the first two weeks of classes, and inform
the faculty member to arrange for appropriate accommodations.
The Disabled Student Services Office can also be reached in the following ways:
Web: http://www.utep.edu/dsso
Phone: (915) 747-5148 voice or TTY;
Fax: (915) 747-8712;
E-Mail: dss@utep.edu
Campus Safety and Emergencies Notifications: Information Technology at UTEP provides emergency
notification via your mobile phone. Visit http://www.utep.edu/it for more information and registration. Check the
UTEP website for health related information and updates.
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Unit I
Lesson 1
Jan 19
Part 1
Part 2
Getting to know each other and the goals and structure of the class
What you may learn
 Basic concepts of motor learning and control
through an introductory activity
 A bit about the instructor
 The structure of the course syllabus, how to use
it, course requirements, and policies
 The textbook’s “knowledge structure”
 Your preferred learning styles
 The 7 Habits of Successful people
 How to make positive changes in your study
habits
 How to start a Time Management Plan
1. Meeting your team and practicing key activities
Lesson 2
Jan 26
Readings
 Re-read learning styles and how you can improve your
studying and learning habits
2. Part 1
3.
 How well you follow through on commitments
 Learn your team members name and the learning
styles in your team
 The role of the FVC
 How to deal with individuals and group process
issues
 The roles team members need to play
Learning Activities you will complete
 Introduction to the course:
o Course theme, scope, and definitions of terms
 Visually mapping the content of the text
o Syllabus and Course Organization
o Fitts’ Law intro activity to illustrate learning and control p. 6
 Applications card p. 8
o Self-assessment p.8, and applications card
 Complete Learning Style Inventory; p. 9
o Analysis of learning styles and study habits;
 Read about 7 Habits of Successful People (Covey) p. 18
 A study contract with yourself integrating learning styles and study habits p. 19
 Start creating your Time Management Plan p. 20
Writings
 Time Management Plan due
 TTC 1
 Complete Practice i-RAT on Blackboard, due at 12:30pm
 Share your time management plan
 Assess how you followed through on your study habits contract p. 21
 Team formation;
o Semi-random selection based on motor skill experiences
o Exchange contact information
o Get to know each other a bit and share learning styles information
o Discuss helpful changes in study habits with partner
 TTC 1:
o Create team Full Value Commitment p. 22
o Complete group dynamics primers p. 23
 Pick a team name
 Take team pictures to be placed on Blackboard and in team folder
 Put TTC and completed FVC in team folder
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4. Part 2
 RAP procedures and their role in learning and
working as a team
 Benefits of team discussion in the RAP
 Bloom’s taxonomy and how it works in RAP
 How to use the team folder
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 Complete Practice t-RAT; may use handwritten notes
o Bloom’s taxonomy and the RATs p. 24
 Students select individual roles to create optimal team work p. 25
 Team folder management
 Reflection in 1-min paper
Unit II
Lesson 3
Evaluate a learner’s motor skill performance level and determine appropriate progressions to improve performance using Gentile’s
Feb 2
taxonomy (Ch 1)
Readings (must study)
Writings (must complete)
 Ch 1 pp 3-12 ; Ch 1 pp 14 Implicit learning
 Complete i-RAT 1 on Blackboard, due at 12:30pm
 Study guide Chapter 1
 TTC 2
 Watch video clip “Beginning and Advanced Jugglers on
Blackboard
What you may learn
Learning Activities you will complete
Part 1
 How skills are classified
 T-RAT 1
 The meaning of the categories in Gentile’s
 Examine the “Learning to juggle data sheet” p. 26
taxonomy and how they relate to motor skill
 Categorize motor performances (video clips) in Gentile’s taxonomy p. 27
classifications
 Diagnose performance using Gentile’s taxonomy p. 28
 How to apply Gentile’s taxonomy to
 TTC 2 review
o analyze and categorize performance levels
 Diagnosis of performance using Gentile’s taxonomy p. 28
o create a performance progression to help
 learning progressions for the diagnosed individual p. 29
someone learn a motor skill
o Randomly selected teams will present their work;
 The procedures and benefits of the matrix
 The knowledge matrix as a tool to examine relationships p. 30
 Using concept mapping to visualize ideas
 Concept mapping; poor and good maps p. 31-34
 New ideas you can apply now
 Application card p. 35
Lesson 4
5. Using task analysis principles to determine key elements of motor skills and necessary abilities; understanding individual differences
Feb 9
and applying measurements to determine level of abilities
Readings
Writings
 Ch 6 all pages
 TTC 3
 Study guide for Chapter 6
6. Part 1
 Why individuals differ in performance
 TTC 3 review
 How ability and capability contribute to
 Background knowledge probe; p. 36
differences in performance
 Analyze juggling and determine its key components and the abilities needed for it
 If we have a single or multiple abilities
using the principles of task analysis p. 37
 How abilities influence performances
 How you use this information to predict performance p. 39
 The procedures of a task analysis
 Explanation of EOU assessment p. 40
 The problems with predicting success
Part 2
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7. Part 2
EOU Assignment: show how to optimize learning
through the application of task analysis principles,
abilities, various performance measures, and
Gentile’s taxonomy in the development of a
practice progression
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 Graded EOU Assessment 1; self and peer review, p. 40-41
 Create the plan for your learner and draw a concept map of it.
 Present your concept map to another team for peer evaluation
Unit III
Lesson 5
9. Setting goals, measuring progress toward goals, inferring learning, and how information processing and memory are necessary for
8. Feb 16
performance and learning (Ch 7)
Readings
Writings
 Ch 7 pp. 191-193 Goal setting
 Complete ] i-RAT 2 on Blackboard, due at 12:30pm
 Ch. 7 pp. 203-215 Assessing progress…
 TTC 4
 Ch 7 Study guide
 Intermediate TWB evaluation 1
What you may learn
Learning Activities you will complete
10. Part 1
 Review of EOU assignment 1
 t-RAT 2
 The key components of goal setting
 Apply principles of goal setting and measurement to a learning situation in
Gentile’s Taxonomy p .42-43
 The measurement paradigm
 How to use various measures to determine:
o whether a person’s performance is improving
o and if they are learning
11. Part 2
 How to integrate information about the learner,
 TTC 4 review
transfer, goal setting and various performance
 Background knowledge probe; p. 43
measures to create a plan to maximize
 Measurement plan for the juggling assignment and Gentile’s Taxonomy p. 44-48
improvements in performance (i.e. learning).
o Your juggling datasheet
 New ideas you can apply now
o Use of various measures, analyzing data and evaluating results.
 Build on task analysis; select appropriate performance measures and a relevant
measurement paradigm; create individualized practice progressions using Gentile’s
taxonomy as the model p. 49-50
 Application card p. 51
Lesson 6
Using information processing principles to optimize learning experiences; how information processing relates to individual
Feb 23
differences and Gentile’s taxonomy
Readings
Writings
 Ch 2 pp, 26-51 to Producing Different Movements….
 TTC 5
 Ch 2 Study Guide
 Update and bring your Time Management Plan to class to share
 Ch3 pp. 64-68 to Closed Loop
 Evidence you completed Intermediate TWB evaluation 1 due
 Part 1
 What bodily sensors provides us with necessary  TTC 5 review
information to learn (Ch 3);
 Conceptest p. 52
 How that information is processed in stages
 Application exercise of information processing stages; dropped dollar bills; p. 53
 What interferes with processing of information
 Buzz Groups (half of teams mixed) to respond to question
 How attention affects processing of information
a. How does Hick’s Law apply to your experience?
 How to measure speed of processing
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Part 2
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 What occurs in the stages of information
processing, and how they affect performance
and learning.
 Apply info processing to the performance case
analyzed in previous lesson to optimize
learning
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 Continuation of information processing application exercise; linking it to the model,
p. 55
 Application card p. 56
 Review and adjust your Time Management Plan with a partner p. 57
Lesson 7
 Applying information processing and memory principles to optimize learning experiences; Analyzing a case study for application of
principles
March 2
Readings
Writings
 Ch 2 pp. 54-57 Three memory systems
 TTC 6
 Magill pp. 222-244 chapter on memory on Blackboard
Part 1
 How to conceptualize memory
 TTC 6 Review
 How memory works in performance and
 Background knowledge probe; p. 58
learning
 Linking memory and information processing to performance outcomes p. 61
 The relationship between memory and
 Conceptest of memory structure and functions
information processing
 How information processing and memory
principles help design optimal learning
experiences.
Part 2
 How to apply the stages of information processing Graded EOU Assessment 2; self and peer review p. 62
and memory to a Gentile Taxonomy-based case
 Application of info processing and memory principles to your learner and Gentile
study
Taxonomy stages through analysis of a case study

Midterm course evaluation and survey on Blackboard
Unit IV
Lesson 8
Enhancing and structuring a practice session to improve learning and performance for different learners
March 9
Readings
Writings
 Chapter 8 &
 Complete i-RAT 3 on Blackboard, due at 12:30pm
 Ch 8 Study Guide
 Intermediate TWB evaluation 2 ONLINE in i-Peer
 TTC 7
What you may learn
Learning Activities you will complete
Part 1
 Variables affecting motivation, attention, and
 T-RAT 3
performance improvement
 Ranking variables affecting motivation, attention, and performance p. 64
 The importance of open communications
Part 2
 How to optimize verbal instructions
 TTC 7 review
 How to best model a motor skill
 Develop best practices suggestions for communications, motivation, attention, and
instruction to the case study from the previous EOU Assessment 2; p. 65
 The theoretical explanations of modeling
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 Various ways of physically and mentally
practicing a skill
 Managing practice activity and rest
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 Conceptest on modeling; p. 66
 Applying modeling and ways of practicing to our juggler p. 67
 Application card, p. 68
SPRING BREAK MARCH 15-19
Lesson 9
Structuring practice situations to optimize learning
March 23
Dr. Meeuwsen out of town; COMPLETE ALL WORK ONLINE
Readings
Writings ONLINE
 Chapter 9 pp. 256-272 up to Schema…
 Complete learning module TTC 8 and associated discussion board assignments
 Chapter 9 pp. 275-279 from Random..
 Chapter 9 study guide
Part 1
 Ways to structure practice: Contextual
 Complete the TTC 8 Forward Looking Assessment
interference and varied practice
 Complete TTC 8 assignments ON TEAM DISCUSSION BOARD
 How to combine practice structures to optimize
o See Learning Module TTC 8 parts I, II, III
learning for individuals who are at various stages  Notebook part 1, ONLINE
of learning.
 Examination of various practice structures
 How researchers explain that practice structures  Applying various practice structures to beginning and advanced learners
affect learning and performance
Part 2
Apply principles of practice preparation and
structure to a case study
Graded EOU Assessment 3; self and peer review, p. 72
Complete the analysis of the case study ONLINE; rate yourself using the rubric.
Unit V
Lesson 10
Delivering extrinsic feedback in ways to optimize learning in learners who are in different stages of learning.
March 30 1. Dr. Meeuwsen out of town; COMPLETE ALL WORK ONLINE
Readings
Writings
 Chapter 10
 Complete i-RAT 4 on Blackboard, due March 25:30pm
 Ch 10 study guide
 Complete learning module TTC 8 and associated discussion board assignments
What you may learn
Learning Activities you will complete
Part 1
 The properties of extrinsic feedback
 T-RAT 4
 The different types of feedback learners can use  Construct a “defining features of feedback table” p. 75
Part 2
 How feedback is used in real practice
 The types of feedback an instructor can use
 Best practices of how to deliver feedback to
optimize learning for learners
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TTC 9 review;
Analysis of observations of feedback delivery in practice p. 76
Optional: Feedback delivery strategies for beginners and experts, p. 79
Application card p. 80
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Lesson 11
April 6
Part 2
S Y L L A B U S
March 31: CESAR CHAVEZ HOLIDAY, NO CLASSES
Practice organizations and feedback delivery strategies to optimize learning for individuals in various stages of learning
Course Drop Deadline April 3rd.
Readings
 Optimal Challenge Point paper
 OCP PPT on Blackboard
Part 1
2 3 3 2
Writings
TTC 10
Conduct Intermediate TWB evaluation 2
 How the Optimal Challenge Point framework
 TTC 10 review
regards information quantity in effective practice  Background knowledge probe; p. 81
structure and delivery of feedback at different
 Interpreting the OCP components and their relationships p. 82
stages of learning
How to apply principles of manipulating practice
structure and feedback for a beginner and an
advance performer
Graded EOU Assessment 4; self and peer review, p. 84
Translate OCP principles to a specific learner in his beginning stage and his advance
stage of learning; how to maintain optimum levels of information for learning
Unit VI
Lesson 12 1.
Models and theories that help explain how motor performance and learning work
April 13
Readings
Writings
 Ch 3 p. 68-73 Closed-Loop…;
 Complete i-RAT 5 on Blackboard, due at 12:30pm
 Ch 3 p. 77-82 Reflexive…;
 TTC 11
Evidence you completed Intermediate TWB evaluation 2 due
 See p. 287 for complete conceptual model
 Ch 4 pp. 107-112 up to Three lines…;
 Ch 4 p. 116 from Postural…;
 Ch 4 p. 123-129 from Generalized…;
 Ch 5 p. 141-148 Fitts’ Law up to Violations…
What you may learn
Learning Activities you will complete
Part 1
 How the closed loop model of motor
 T-RAT 5
performance helps you understand the processes  Review of the closed loop model, its components and their functions, p. 86
involved in the control of motor performance
 Closed loop conceptual model applications, p. 88-90
Part 2
Lesson 13
April 20
 Components and relationship of Fitts’ Law
 Applying Fitts’ Law in motor skills
 How Fitts’ Law fits in the closed loop model
 TTC 11 review
 Fitts’ Law and how it affects motor performance p. 91-92
 Integrating Fitts’ Law into the closed loop model, p. 93
 Introduction to Motor Program Theory, p. 94
 An extra application of Fitts’ Law in performance, p. 96
Theories of motor control; how they explain performance, learning and individual differences
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Readings
 Review reading on GMP in Ch 4 and 5 Study Guides
 Coker Chapter 3 on Dynamic Systems on Blackboard
 Ch 5 p. 134-140 from Relative Timing on
 Ch 9 p 272-273 from Schema Development
Part 1
 Schema and GMP Theory
 How Schema theory explains learning of motor
skills; application to juggling
 How Dynamic Systems theory explains motor
performance; Dynamic Systems Theory basics
 Application of DS Theory
Part 2
 Contrasting DS and GMP Theories
Lesson 14
Vision and Motor Control
April 27
Readings
 Ch 3 p. 89-101 from Role of Two Visual…
 Ch 3 Study Guide
Part 1
 The role of vision in motor control
 Visual capture and dominance
 The role of vision in juggling
 Affordances and perception-action coupling
Part 2
Lesson 15
May 4
Integration of concepts and summary of semester
learning.
Pulling it All Together
What the big picture looks like; comprehensive
integration of concepts.
2 3 3 2
Writings
 TTC 12
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TTC 12 review
Schema theory overview and application, p. 97-98
Background knowledge probe on Dynamic Systems Theory, p. 99
Practical example of DS, p. 100
 Compare and contrast GMP and DS theories using a specific cases, p. 101
 Application card, p. 101
Writings
 TTC 13
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TTC 13 review
Conceptest, p. 102
Affordances in action, p. 103
Perception and action: Vision and catching, p 103
Preparation for the final poster p. 104
FINAL TEAM CHALLENGE POSTER PRESENTATIONS, p. 104
 Presentation of final poster
 Assessment by entire class; ranking of posters
UTEP Course Evaluation
FINAL EXAM
Thursday, May 13, MGYM 118, 4-6:45pm
Final TWB Evaluation
Final Custom Course Evaluation and Survey
S Y L L A B U S
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